1. Flowers for moms: Here is an idea that I love – probably because my own grandmother helped create precious memories by taking me to the garden center to choose gifts for Mothers’ Day – which for us is next week. I remember choosing a big red amaryllis with lots of colorful blooms. There are many beautiful plant varieties to consider. Plants please Mom and Grandma, and provide a simple and effective way to brighten up the garden. Many will survive and renew the memory for years to come.

2. Mulch Ado: Add a three-to-four-inch layer of mulch on flower and vegetable beds and around trees and shrubs. Mulch not only keeps weeds down, but it also holds in moisture and prevents disease. And it looks good, too.

3. Eat, spray, love: Fruit tree borers are moth larvae that eat tree tissues under the bark, causing bark to flake off on the upper side of affected branches and seriously weakening or even killing the trees. Prevent new springtime infestations by spraying apricot, nectarine, peach and plum trees with Spinosad or other products that contain carbaryl or malathion two times in the month of May, seven to ten days apart, as new larvae hatch and try to get a foothold. In winter control them further by removing severely damaged branches, then as soon as the leaves fall off spray the entire tree from the ground up with Neem Oil in accordance with instructions on the label. Both springtime and wintertime treatments are essential to protect your trees.

4. Milk that mildew: Stop mildew from spreading on roses by spraying weekly with diluted skim milk (1 part skim milk mixed with 9 parts water) or with products containing triforine or chlorothalonil fungicide. Although no fungicide will remove mildew that is already on the leaves and buds, these sprays prevent mildew from starting on new growth. That way your roses can outgrow the effects of mildew. It also helps to spray rose foliage with plain water early in the morning, but never after mid-morning or in the evening.

5. Stem snips: Deadhead spent rose flowers by cutting the stems down to a spot just above the lowest five-leaflet leaf. A simpler approach is to cut each stem back so only three inches remains. Strong new shoots will emerge from these shortened stems and provide the next high-quality cycle of roses in your garden in six to eight weeks. Feed your roses about every six weeks during the growing season. And remember, it’s patriotic to plant roses – after all, roses are America’s National Flower.

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